We investigated Born modeling techniques as a means to quickly evaluate multiple possible migration velocity models. By ``exploding" subsurface offset gathers from an initial migrated image, we can generate an areal source function with information about the initial velocity model. This source function is used to both generate Born-modeled data from isolated points in the subsurface, and to migrate that data to form an image. While crosstalk issues limit the present implementation of this method to single reflectors, we showed that it can quickly and accurately reproduce the same velocity information (in the form of subsurface offset gathers) obtained from a full migration of the original data. Furthermore, the method allows for re-datuming of wavefields prior to imaging, and can clearly distinguish between velocity models that differ only slightly. With further improvement, this method could form the basis for an efficient and interactive model-building tool.
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